page_title: Viking coinage
section_title: Denmark
hierarchical_section_title: Viking coinage / Scandinavia / Denmark
caption_attribution_description: English: Coin of Sweyn Forkbeard.
context_page_description: Viking coinage was used during the Viking Age of northern Europe. Prior to the usage and minting of coins, the Viking economy was predominantly a bullion economy, where the weight and size of a particular metal is used as a method of evaluating value, as opposed to the value being determined by the specific type of coin. By the ninth century, the Viking raids brought them into contact with cultures well familiarised with the use of coins in economies of Europe, hence influencing the Vikings own production of coins.
  Within Scandinavia itself, Vikings were aware of coins from various regions including the Islamic areas of the day, bringing further influence. Before minting of their own coinage, a flow of international coins provided the basis for an early economy with which to develop.
  Danish ruled kingdoms in the British Isles, known as the Danelaw, began to model their own coins on rulers in addition to various Christian imagery. Within Scandinavia, the adoption of particular coinages within each of the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian coinages became evident towards the late 990s.
context_section_description: The earliest known issued coins out of Viking age Denmark came under king Sweyn Forkbeard around the year 995. These coins had various inscriptions including the name of Sweyn, as well as the issuing authority of the coins (GODWINE M-AN DNER: Godwine moneyer among the Danes), and the coins were made of silver. In following centuries, many coins were based on silver and their value determined by weight. These have been found to be few and minted at an unidentified site. Sweyn, along with Norwegian king Olaf Tryggvasson, had previously commanded the Viking invading force into England, leading to the enforcement of Danegeld (the English king Æthelred II, was required to pay the Danish: known as Danegeld). The English coins used as payment became some of the early prototypes for these Danish coins. The main two developments common in Denmark became: pennies highly similar to those minted within England, but struck in Denmark with images of the English king and name; and also pennies modelled on those made in England but with images more directly linked to Denmark.
  During the reign of Svend Estridsen, many Danish coins had a strong imitation of Byzantine types and towards the latter part of his reign, pennies had impressions of Danish runic characters. Later between 1074 and 1080, under the reign of Harald Hen, Denmark moved more to a nationalised currency and coinage.
  The initial implementation of the Danish coinage began well, becoming further consolidated and established under the rule of Cnut, whereby the kingdoms of both Denmark and England were more united. Under Cnut in the 1020s came some of the first organised coinage, principally minted in Lund, but also found to be minted in multiple other cities such as Ribe, Hedeby and Aalborg.
caption: Coin depicting Sweyn Forkbeard, king of Denmark from 986 to 1014, minted in 995. Inscription reads: ZVEN REX AD DENER "Sven, king of [or among] the Danes" and GOD-WINE M-AN D-NER "Godwine, moneyer among the Danes"[12]
exif: {}